Earliest United States Mail to Perry's Expedition in Japan. "ORFORD•VILLE, N.H." arc handstamp with manuscript "Nov. 24" (1853) date and "Paid 65" rate on buff cover addressed to "Mr. John Sewall, U.S. Ship Saratoga, East India Squadron, Hong Kong, China, via South Hampton", rate crossed out with matching magenta "44" credit, despite sender's route directive this was prepaid for the higher rate via Marseilles, red "Paid DD 8 DE 8 1853" London datestamp, "Hong-Kong 13 FE 1854" circular datestamp on back, significant receipt docketing "Recd Jeddo Bay, Japan, Per 'Supply' from Shanghai, March 19, 1854"

VERY FINE. THE U.S.S. SUPPLY WAS THE FIRST VESSEL TO CARRY UNITED STATES MAIL TO MEMBERS OF COMMODORE PERRY'S 1854 RETURN EXPEDITION TO JAPAN, WHICH CULMINATED IN THE SIGNING OF THE TREATY OF KANAGAWA. THIS IS THE ONLY RECORDED COVER FROM THAT TRIP.

After departing from Japan on July 17, 1853, Perry's squadron sailed to China. He had informed the Japanese government of his intention to return, and, on February 13, 1854, a squadron of 8 to 10 ships and 1,600 men sailed into Edo Bay. An agreement was reached to convene at Kanagawa (Yokohama). With Perry's "Black Ships" anchored off shore, gifts were exchanged and the group was entertained by Japanese Sumo wrestlers and American minstrel performers. On March 31, 1854, the Convention of Kanagawa was signed, the crowning achievement of Perry's expedition.

This cover was mailed in November 1853 from the United States to John Sewall, a captain's clerk on the U.S.S. Saratoga, and reached Hong Kong on February 13, 1854. The U.S. storeship Supply had been ordered to join Perry's squadron in Edo Bay and, according to Sewall's diary, it reached them on March 19, 1854, the receipt date of the docketing on this cover. Therefore, this is the earliest mail carried to Perry's squadron while it was located in Japan, since no other vessel could have brought mail from the homeland any earlier.

Illustrated in Frajola-Perlman-Scamp book (p. 27) and described as "carried on the first vessel to transport mail from Hong Kong to members of the second Perry expedition while stationed in Japan."

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